Founded in December 2002, Harbin Embraer Aircraft Industry, located in Harbin, the capital city of the Heilongjiang province, results from a joint venture between Embraer and Harbin Aircraft Industry Group Co. Ltd. and Hafei Aviation Industry Co., which are controlled by the China Aviation Industry Corporation II (AVIC II).
Harbin Embraer Aircraft Industry was Embraer's first industrial venture outside of Brazil, aiming to produce, assemble, and coordinate sales and to provide after sales support for the ERJ 135/140/145 aircraft. The contract also provided for the licensed production of all versions of the family of regional jets.
The results could not have been better. Besides the fact that the thousandth ERJ 145 airplane was produced by HEAI and delivered to a Chinese customer, in 2009 the Company reached a 52% market share for 120-seat aircraft.